Thus there are two books from whence I collect my divinity--besides that
written one of God, another of His servant nature; that universal and
public manuscript, that lies expanded unto the eyes of all--those that
never saw Him in the one, have discovered Him in the other. This was the
scripture and theology of the heathens; the natural motion of the sun
made them more admire Him, than its supernatural station did the children
of Israel; the ordinary effects of nature wrought more admiration in them
than in the other all His miracles: surely the heathens knew better how
to join and read these mystical letters, than we Christians, who cast a
more careless eye on these common hieroglyphics, and disdain to suck
divinity from the flowers of nature. Nor do I so forget God as to adore
the name of nature; which I define not with the schools, to be the
principle of motion and rest, but that straight and regular line, that
settled and constant course the wisdom of God hath ordained the actions
of His creatures, according to their several kinds. To make a revolution
every day, is the nature of the sun, because of that necessary course
which God hath ordained it, from which it cannot swerve, by a faculty
from that voice which first did give it motion. Now this course of
nature God seldom alters or perverts, but like an excellent artist hath
so contrived His work, that with the selfsame instrument, without a new
creation, He may effect His obscurest designs. Thus He sweeteneth the
water with a wood, preserveth the creatures in the ark, which the blast
of His mouth might have as easily created; for God is like a skilful
geometrician, who when more easily, and with one stroke of his compass,
he might describe or divide a right line, had yet rather to do this in a
circle or longer way, according to the constituted and fore-laid
principles of his art: yet this rule of His He doth sometimes pervert, to
acquaint the world with His prerogative, lest the arrogancy of our reason
should question His power, and conclude He could not. And thus I call
the effects of nature the works of God, whose hand and instrument she
only is; and therefore to ascribe His actions unto her, is to devolve the
honour of the principal agent upon the instrument; which, if with reason
we may do, then let our hammers rise up and boast they have built our
houses, and our pens receive the honour of our writing. . . . Now nature
is not at variance with art, nor art with nature: they being both
servants of His providence. Art is the perfection of nature: were the
world now as it was the sixth day, there were yet a chaos. Nature hath
made one world, and art another. In brief, all things are artificial;
for nature is the art of God.